You're On
by Sallyj55
Summary: Famous last words. Well, not last, but you know what I mean. So I lost a bet with some of the other guardians, and… shoot. (Jack's POV, one-shot, Disclaimer: I don't own RotG)


"Come on, Jack! You promised you would do it if you lost." Tooth wined as I grouchily turned away from her in my chair.

"Two letters. N-O."

"Jack, come on! You promised!" Jamie called out.

"Yeah! Promise!" Sophie chanted. Jamie nodded in agreement.

"Ugh. NO! I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT!" I yelled, standing up.

"Jack, tis just a bet. You can tell her that afterwards when she rejects you." North… attempted at calming.

I looked past them at the back of a beautiful girl, silver pixie cut, long feathery wings folded over her white tube top and sheer gray mini skirt with black leggings underneath. Her dainty feet in tiny white flats, she did her little thing where she steps so lightly and daintily, even Kangaroo can't hear her. I mean, she doesn't do it on purpose, but she's just so light and delicate.

And it just melts my heart.

"But… Annie's… she's… just NO!" I repeated, still watching her.

"Come on, mate. You're gonna have to do it anyways, might as well do it now. Besides, this way you have an excuse when she says no." Bunnymund chuckled as he said this, and it just made me want to do it less.

"She's freaking five years younger than me! She's freaking THIRTEEN! A year younger that YOU, Jamie! Aren't I supposed to be protecting girls like her? How is getting asked out by some guy, excuse me, some COLLEAGUE that she just met three years ago, protecting her and, keeping her innocence for that matter!" I continued arguing, refusing to get out of my seat by the window.

"You know age is redundant once you're a guardian or spirit, Jack. Because if age was really important, Sandy would be youngest out of all of us since he was born from the stars as a spirit, and you don't age one you're one. He would be zero years old." Tooth replied, a smile on her face. "Wow. Sandy. Zero years old. I actually can picture that."

"Hey guys! Picture who?" Annie said as she came over.

"Shoot." I muttered under my breath, getting up. Jamie took out a camera, but I gave him a quick glare and he stuck his tongue and put it away.

"Uh, just Sandy. We were talking about… what we would look like or looked like when we were little." I quickly said to her. Luckily, she didn't question it, but she was quiet for a bit.

The worst ran through my mind at that moment. Did she know I was lying? Did I offend her? Does she hate me now?

"I… remember… what I looked like when I was little." Annie said quietly.

I thanked the moon that she wasn't mad at me and went with it. I was about to comment, but Tooth said something first. "Wait really? You remember, like, when you were born and all? You have a photographic memory?"

Annie sat down and nodded, ever the slightest. She didn't say anything, but I knew something was up.

"Something wrong?" I asked, sitting next to her. At this point, North, Bunnymund, Jamie, and Sandy excused themselves, but Tooth stayed and sat on her other side.

"I… I remember my family, too. My younger sister, my older brother. My parents, too. And… I also… I also remember…"

"Yeah?" I gently asked, trying not to prod.

"I remember how I died. I remembered the sirens, the doctors, the last few days where I was in intensive care in the hospital, all up to my last breath. I remember it all."

I thought about this. Annie had never told us how she had died, so this was all new to me. I wanted to know more, but I knew that bringing up such topics and making others share it is really hard, especially on the person sharing. I'd know, I did it. But nobody asked, I just told the rest of the gang, and I did it completely on my own.

Tooth spoke before I had the chance. "What happened?"

"Uh, Tooth, she doesn't have to tell us…" I trailed off, but Annie quickly interrupted me.

"No, no, it's fine. Really, I think it's only fitting that you guys know. At least, you two, for now.

I was a privileged girl. I'm from a middle to upper class family, and I lived in a big house. I had a lot of friends, I was even secretary of student council with my best friend, Kathy. That was what I was doing when it happened, actually. I lived really close to my public school, and I had stayed after school with Kathy to finish up some preparation for the next dance coming up really soon. I was dreading it, I didn't want to go to the eighth grade annual end of school year dance at all, but as part of the student government I was required.

Kathy and I were walking home together, and Kathy was telling me about her new dress for the dance. She told me about how expensive it was and how intricate it was, while I was just looking at the stars and nodding, daydreaming like usual.

'Annie, what are you wearing?' she asked as only just barely heard her, snapping back to attention.

'Uh, just an old green dress. No big.' I replied quickly. In truth, I did have a new dress, but there was no chance I was going to wear it. It was bright red with white crystals on it, and way to noticeable.

At that moment, we were crossing the street. We had almost crossed all the way, when Kathy noticed she dropped her purse back in the middle of the street (she was sidetracked because she continued to talk about the dance and how much she was looking forward to it).

'Kathy, let's wait till it's a walk sign again, then go get it. It's in the middle, nobody will run it over.'

'Annie, you're way too serious. Nobody's driving right now, it's too late. Either way, we live in a really quiet and small town. I'll just run over, grab it, and run back. I'll be a sec.'

I was uneasy, but she was already rushing over there.

No, she didn't get run over. No, I didn't save her from getting run over. She just scampered back and we kept walking.

When I got back to my house with Kathy (she was staying over), the house was quiet, like usual. My dad was on a business trip in Maine and my mom goes to the gym around that time, so it wasn't unusual.

Of course, we headed upstairs to my bedroom and talked about some extra stuff for the next student council event coming up, when I heard my mom come home. She called up to us to make sure we were there, then told us to go to bed soon because she was.

We didn't know there was a person hiding in her bedroom.

The person shot her, and the gunshot echoed throughout the house. Kathy immediately started calling 911 on her cellphone, and I turned off the lights in my room as we hid in my walk-in closet.

'Hello? 911? Yes, my name is Katherine Ma and I'm with my friend Annie Huffman. There is a person in her house, and I think her mom was just shot. Yes. Yes. We're hiding in her closet right now, we turned off all the lights in her room. 32 Strawberry Lane in Philadelphia. **(1) **We… we don't know where the person is right now. Okay, please hurry. Thank you.' she quickly hung up and he sat really close together, scared out of our minds. I don't know what was going through her mind at that moment, but with me it was my mom. I was pretty sure she was dead, but I had no clue. It was only one gunshot, so there's a smaller chance as opposed to a couple, but I don't know where she was shot.

The police came in about five minutes with the ambulance. They got the man out and my mom as well, and I heard the ambulance rush off even though the police were still there. I heard my door open, and a man talking to another person.

'They said they were hiding in her closet. I think this is the one.'

A young woman's voice was heard. 'Girls? Are you there?'

I cracked open the door, and we both peaked out. There was a tall and official looking woman crouched down need the closet door, and she smiled when she saw us. We opened the door and got out.

I broke down. Kathy and the woman, who's name turned out to be Mrs. Harrison, led me to my bed and we just sat in silence for a while as I cried all my tears away. Afterward we drove to the hospital to see if either of us were hurt, and we were rushed to the emergency room, even though both of us felt fine.

And we were. But mom…

My mom had been shot in the chest, on her right side. She was almost dead when I could finally see her. There were so many doctors around her, and she was seriously bleeding. She was about to die, and that's the only reason I was allowed in her final moments.

Her voice was so soft, I could barely hear it. But I leaned in really, really close, and listened to her words exactly.

'Annabel, my dear. Your father is already on his way back from Maine, and he'll be here soon. I want you to know how much I love you dear. Sweet, sweet Annabel… so talented, but always so modest. So kind, but never boastful. So beautiful… but never realizing how much… Annabel, I want you to go about your life. I want you to be successful. I want you to try your hardest, always. But most of all… I want you to do something that you want, and you love, and you decided upon in your life. Something that matters to you.'

Tears were streaming out of my eyes, and I held my mother's hand tighter than ever.

'No, Mom. No. I won't let this happen. You'll be fine, you'll survive, I… I know you will. Y-you… you have to.' I sobbed, barely able to speak.

'Honey… it's okay.' she whispered, so quiet now. Her eyes were visibly getting heavier, and her grasp getting weaker.

I rushed to the doctors closest by. 'What are you doing? Why aren't you saving her? You can't… you can't let her die…'

'We… we need to do an operation, but your mother… her blood type is O-. That's the rarest blood type there is, and she can only receive O-. We don't have enough blood for the operation on top of the blood she is being given now to counter act how quickly she's losing it. It's too risky with this little… I'm so sorry.' he responded, a completely sincere look on his face.

But then I realized. 'Wait… I'm O-. Can't you use mine?'

The doctor looked taken aback. 'That's much too risky! The amount of blood we need will be drastic, and you alone giving so much at once…'

'ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WON'T ALLOW ME TO AT LEAST TRY TO SAVE MY OWN MOTHER!' I cried out in outrage, tears still streaming down my face. 'I-I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO ME. I HAVE A YOUNGER SISTER. SHE'S FREAKING SIX. MY OLDER BROTHER IS VISITING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THR-R-REE YEARS FROM COL-L-LEGE. AND YOU'RE TELLING M-ME, RIGHT NOW, THAT I-I CAN'T FREAKING SAVE MY FREAKING MOM!' I screamed at the doctor, my voice cracking. He looked to the other doctors, and I just stared at him.

'P-please… my mom just said that I should do something that matters in my life. Well, this matters. And I'm going to save her, no matter what happens to me.' I ended with.

The next thing you know, I was lying on a hospital bed, and as they were about to give me a pill so that I would fall asleep and wouldn't feel weird as they took my blood. But before, I swallowed, I looked out the window, and I all I saw was the moon. I swallowed the pill, still looking at it. And at the last second, right before I blacked out, my dad burst into the room and all I could do… was give him a small smile and close my eyes." Annie finished after a long time. She had quiet tears streaming down her face, an I was surprised as I noticed I did too.

Tooth burst out in sobs. "Th-th-that's-s s-so S-SA-D-D!" she cried out, hugging Annie tightly.

Annie uncomfortably squirmed out of her grasp and scooted away from her. Coincidentally, closer to me.

I quickly wiped any stray tears from my eyes and looked at her. She was so strong, so beautiful. I mean, I just fell in a lake. She actually gave herself up for her mom. Plus, she even had a choice.

"You know, Annie, I…"

"Yeah, Jack?" she asked, doe eyes and all.

"I really… do you want to…" I stuttered, feeling pretty stupid.

Tooth quickly caught on to what I was getting at, and her sad and touched expression turned into a smug smile.

"I… just wanted to say I'm here for you." I ended, Tooth with a surprised look on her face.

"Aww… thanks, Jack." Annie said, giving me a quick hug.

"Yeah no prob." I replied, hiding the bright blue blush rushing to my face.

"Hey, I gotta go. See ya later, Jack. You too, Tooth." Annie said as she got up, stepped onto a wide windowsill, spread her wings and jumped.

"You didn't do anything." Tooth scolded me, disappointed.

"I know."

"You promised!"

"I know."

"Not cool."

"Hey," I replied, "I promised that if I lost the bet, I would ask Annie out. I never said when I would ask her. I'm off the hook."

"WHAT!" Tooth yelled. "Jack! You can't DO that!"

"Yes I can. And since I live forever, I have until the end of time to do it."

"Ugh." Tooth finished with, deflated. "Fine. You win. But I was really looking forward to that."

"Yeah. But maybe not today." I replied, walking down the hall with her to meet up with North, Sandy, and Bunnymund.

**(1) I have absolutely no clue if this is a real place in Philadelphia, so…**

**Yeah, turns out I'm still alive. I guess I still feel kinda guilty for not writing anything in forever, so… yeah. Sorry about who horrible and rushed this is.**


End file.
